Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat or any of its characters. All rights belong to Ed Boon, Nether Realm Studios, and Warner Bros.
Smoke, Raiden, and Johnny Cage help Kurai back to Shao Kahn's palace in order for him, and them to rest up before the tournament resumes. Taking him to one of the guest rooms in the palace, they open the door, walk Kurai over to the bed and set him down gently.
"How are you feeling, Kurai?" Cage asks him as the prince laughs lightly.
"Tired. A little hurt. But, hey, we're in Outworld. Let's have some laughs." He answers humorously, causing the others to chuckle as Raiden walks over to him and pats his shoulder.
"Rest easy for the next hour, Kurai. I will take Johnny Cage with me and look for your sister. Maybe we can bring her over to our side after Shao Kahn coldly dismissed her back in the Coliseum." He tells Kurai and prepares to leave the room with Cage, leaving Smoke with him to watch over him in case the Outworld warriors decide to have any bright ideas and attack him while he's weakened.
However, Kurai senses another presence in the room that the others haven't yet, and he knows exactly who it is. He just doesn't understand why she's here. "No, take Smoke with you too. You'll need all the help you can get, Raiden." He says to the thunder god with sincerity, but Raiden wasn't too sure about leaving Kurai alone by himself. Not while he's in his current condition.
"I greatly admire your courage, Kurai. But, I do not think it is wise to leave you by yourself. Shao Kahn's warriors could barge in here anytime they wish and take advantage of your weakened state. I can't risk that, and neither can you." Raiden informs Kurai with concern, but the prince just smiles and shakes his head.
"I understand that, Raiden. I do. But I don't think all of Shao Kahn's warriors will just bust up in here and try to kill me. At least, I believe some of them won't." He counters with a smile. He is clearly thinking of Goro and Sheeva, considering Goro is looking to fight Kurai at his best.
Kurai felt confident that he would be perfectly fine here for the moment, Raiden, however, still didn't look too confident. But he gives in, realizing that Kurai will just find ways to try and leave him by himself, and also because the more time wasted talking about this, is time that could have been used to recruit Kitana.
Sighing deeply, Raiden reluctantly nods his head. "Very well, Kurai. We'll go. Smoke, Johnny Cage, come with me to look for Kitana. Kurai will remain here to rest until the tournament resumes, but, Kurai, you are not to go anywhere else besides this room. We can't risk one of Shao Kahn's warriors getting the jump on you while you're taking a little stroll." He tells them all, causing Kurai to chuckle and nod.
"Alright, alright. Now, will you guys get going already? If you want to recruit my sister, you better go now." He tells them, causing them to nod and walk out of the room to look for Kitana, leaving Kurai alone in the room.
Waiting a few moments to make sure they were all out of earshot, Kurai calls out to the person that was currently hidden, well hidden, in the room with him. "You can come out now, Tanya." He says before he hears a giggle. He then feels weight dropping on the bed before a pair slender arms wrap around his shoulders as Tanya lays her head against his back.
"Hmm, you feel so tense, darling. You have an hour of rest, maybe we can use that for you loosen up." She leans up, whispering in his ear with a smile, causing Kurai to chuckle as he turns around to face her.
"But then I wouldn't be resting, would I? I'd be even more exhausted than I am now." He tells her, causing them both to laugh as she hugs him. "I thought you said it would be a while before I saw you again?" He reminds her of her words before he left for the Wu Shi Academy. Tanya continues to smile before she shrugs and traces her finger across his jawline.
"Hmm, I like to bend the rules every now and then. I work better that way." She answers knowingly before quickly pecking his lips then smiles. "Plus, I also like to play by my own rules too. A girl has to have some fun, you know." She continues with a humorous chuckle.
Kurai shakes his head with a smile as he looks at her. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, Tanya, but why are you here?" He asks her seriously, wondering why she's in Shao Kahn's palace of all places, since the last time she was here was the day she left.
"I came here for two things. One, to see you. As always." She answers him before kissing his cheek softly, causing him to smile before she continues. "The second is to let you know that there is something more going on with Shao Kahn's new best friend, Quan Chi." She tells him, which makes him look at her with confusion.
"Quan Chi? The albino with the tribal markings? What's so special about him? He's just another sorcerer like Shang Tsung, right?" He asks her curiously, her first answer is a shake of her head before she shrugs.
"I honestly have no idea. But our rebel spies, here in the palace and the city, have reported that there is something very ominous about him. They say that the way he carries himself is... pure arrogance and ego." She tells him with a shaky tone as her body trembles, which causes Kurai to hold her gently before she looks up at him.
"Besides you, Kurai, I work with some of the most confident and fearless people in the rebel force, but the looks on their faces whenever they have to make a report about Quan Chi... it's... it's frightening and disheartening seeing them that way. Which only makes me more worried for you, my love. Considering you have fought and defeated him at the previous tournament, you would be at the top of his hit list." She continues with a worried expression as she suddenly embraces him in a tight hug while continuing to tremble.
Not knowing what to say, Kurai just holds her close as tears begin to build in her eyes. "Kurai... I would ask for you to avoid him as best as you can, but considering that he is participating in this tournament, I know that would be... impossible. But... could you, at the very least, try? Try, just for me? I just got back the only good thing going for me in my life. I can't lose that. I can't lose you. I won't survive long if I do." She says to him tearfully as she and Kurai both hug each other in a gentle embrace.
"Tanya, you're not going to lose me. Whatever Quan Chi's reasons for fighting, mine are greater. Because I have reasons to fight and survive. Good reasons. Whatever his reasons, they're not good enough because of who he is. I've fought people, many people, like him before, and they're all the same. Many of them fight for power, fortune, or the grandest prize of all, eternal life. If any one of those are his reasons, then he's not strong enough against me and the others. Not strong enough alone, at least." He tells her before looking at her and wipes her tears away.
He kisses her cheek softly then looks at her tenderly. "You're not going to lose me, Tanya. I have more than enough reasons to come back to you and the others. You, Jade, and Kitana especially. So, don't worry. When the time comes for me to deal with Quan Chi, whether by myself or with help, he'll be dealt with. And he won't live long enough to see what his future is. I can promise you that much." He tells her confidently, causing her to smile with trembling lips before she leans forward and kisses him passionately for a moment.
Pulling away, she wipes her face and smiles again. "Ok... ok. Well, you better keep that promise, darling, or there will be hell to pay if you don't." She tells him half seriously, which causes him to nod with a laugh. She pecks his lips again and hugs him a moment longer before pulling away to look at him with a smile. "I better get going now, Kurai. The rebel commander will be wondering why I've taken so long to come back." She tells him, causing him to nod as she gets up off the bed.
They both suddenly feel two presences nearing the room. Not wanting to be caught in case it's Jade and Kitana, Tanya quickly turns to Kurai and kisses him before running then jumping off the balcony to leave the room as well as the palace to return to the Edenian Rebel Forces.
Heavy knocking was heard not long after, which causes Kurai to slowly get up from the bed and walk over to the door to see who it is. Though he had a sneaking suspicion of who it is before he even opened the door, judging from how forceful the knocks were against the door. Kurai opens the door to see Goro and Sheeva standing outside of it with respectful looks on their faces. "Goro? Sheeva? What brings you two here?" He asks them curiously.
The two Shokan warriors then bow respectfully to Kurai before looking at him. "With your permission, Prince Kurai, I respectfully ask that you allow Sheeva and myself to keep guard over you until the tournament resumes.We may be residents of Outworld, but we Shokan have a strong sense of honor and valor compared to others here in this realm." Goro tells him with a serious tone as Sheeva nods.
Kurai was taken aback by this request. He had expected Goro and Sheeva to have more honor than most in Outworld. But for them to ask that they guard him? He wasn't expecting that. Looking up at the two Shokan with a sly expression, he chuckles humorously. "But, I'm not a aligned with Outworld, Goro. You and I have no loyalty to each other. Wouldn't this be an act of treason against Shao Kahn? Protecting an enemy that's from Earth Realm?" He wonders out loud to them curiously.
Both Shokan chuckle at his comment before Sheeva speaks. "Don't worry yourself about that, my prince. We Shokan have allegiance with Shao Kahn, yes, but we do not always agree with his methods. As such, because we are only to fight officially during the tournament, not outside of it, Goro and I wish to guard you and allow you to get as much rest within the allotted time until the tournament resumes. It would also honor us greatly to watch over and protect the son of Queen Sindel while he is recovering." She explains to Kurai, causing him to smile brightly before he bows to them.
They bow in return before he looks back up at them. "Well, then, it would be a great honor to be guarded by two honorable Shokan warriors. It would also be a great honor for me if I get to know potential future allies." He says to them both as he stands to the side, inviting them into the room. "You can guard me here in the room. I won't have you both standing outside my door like slaves. Come on in, please." He gestures them to come inside the room to join him. Goro and Sheeva do so gladly. The two spend the next hour getting to know the prince while he gets to know them.
But during that time, Raiden's explanation of why Kurai is the one his visions are referring to, plagued his thoughts since the explanation didn't make a whole lot of sense. How can Kurai be the one that must win just because the amulet repaired itself after he spared Sub-Zero from a grim fate? The fate of becoming a cold and mindless drone. A machine with no free will.
Kurai believes that Raiden may have jumped the gun in believing that his visions are referring to him, when that may not be true. Kurai will have to find some way to help Raiden decipher these visions once the Mortal Kombat tournament of Outworld ends, since he is beginning to have a strong suspicion that there may be more to "He must win" than Raiden thinks. If Liu Kang wasn't meant to win the previous tournament, then who was? And if Raiden is wrong again about Kurai meaning to win this tournament, then just who is meant to win? If not Liu Kang, or Kurai, then who?
Meanwhile, in Outworld, with Kitana...
After the fight between Kurai and Percival Silva, Kitana left the Coliseum and wandered to the sandy beaches of Outworld and walked along the shoreline with thoughts of joining with her little brother or staying by Shao Kahn's side. Her thoughts were pulling her one way, while her heart was pulling her another. She wanted her little brother back in her life and by her side, he is the only family she has left, but he won't abandon Earth Realm.
The more she thought about it all, her mind began to cloud as she reached up and clenched her hair in frustration. "Damn it... DAMN IT!!! Why does he have to be so... so... stubborn?! Jade and I are here! He belongs with us! Not with those Earth Realm warriors! I understand that Earth Realm has been his home since Edenia fell, but he belongs with Jade and I! Is that so hard for him to understand?!" She shouts up at the dark skies of Outworld before lowering her head with sadness. "Is it... Is it wrong of me... for wanting him to turn his back on his comrades? Is it wrong of me to want him to betray the only home he has ever known for 9,000 years?" She quietly asks herself somberly.
She then hears footsteps walking up behind her, knowing who it is, she doesn't bother to turn around. "Jade, I've told you. I do not want to see you or speak with you. I will only speak with you during important business dealings concerning Outworld. This is not an important business dealing." She coldly says her friend, which causes Jade to lower her head with sadness.
Looking back up, Jade decides to try and talk sense into the princess. "Kitana, please, I only-" She begins to say, but is cut off by Kitana.
"You follow me around and watch me closely when I CLEARLY wish to be left alone! If you are here to speak to me about my brother, then spare yourself the effort! I am not in the mood to discuss the topic of Kurai, nor your betrayal of me." She tells her friend coldly as Jade walks up beside her, but Kitana doesn't even glance in her direction.
Jade sighs deeply when Kitana doesn't say a word to her and just gazes out at the dark waters of Outworld. "Kitana, I've told you before, I didn't betray you. Kurai asked me not to say a word to you because he only wanted to protect you from Shang Tsung. But he also wanted to protect himself from the sorcerer in case he wanted to try and exploit and blackmail him with his own secret." She begins to explain as clearly as she can while Kitana still doesn't spare her a glance, but listens. "And I believe he was in the right to do so, considering that Shang Tsung found out who he truly was, kept it to himself from you, and tried to exploit your brother for his own benefit, but that failed in the end." She continues as Kitana sighs deeply, knowing that Jade was right, but she didn't vocally admit it.
After a moment, Jade continued. "Kitana, you need to be careful. We all do. Kurai included. Now that Shao Kahn knows he's still alive, he will stop at nothing to try and bring him to the ranks of Outworld. But I think it is clear as day where Kurai's loyalties lie. With Earth Realm, and us as well. But so long as we remain with Outworld, we can not truly be reunited with Kurai." She explains as Kitana finally snaps her gaze in Jade's direction.
"His loyalty should be with Outworld! We are not aligned with Earth Realm, so neither should he! We are here! Right here! With Outworld! Does he just not want to be reunited with us?! I mean, what could possibly be so important to him in Earth Realm that he doesn't want to reunite with us?!" She asks Jade frustratedly as Jade just stares at her friend when a logical question just pops into her head.
"I don't think that's the right question, Kitana. I believe the question is, what's stopping you and I from reuniting with Kurai and leaving with him? I think you and I know the answer to that." She tells the princess calmly, who pauses to think for a moment before she understands what her friend is saying.
Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn is the only reason why they both haven't dropped everything related to Outworld and reunited straight away with Kurai. The emperor would never allow two of his best warriors, one of which who happens to be his adopted daughter, to align themselves with the one realm he so desperately wishes to conquer.
That was the reason. It is only by her own fear that Kitana has not defected to Earth Realm. And it is not her frustration at her brother that's preventing her from doing so, it's more so her frustration at herself for not having the courage necessary to stand with Kurai when destiny has presented her an opportunity to bring her family back together again.
Although, they are both the only family they've got left. Sindel is dead. Jerrod is dead. So, what's stopping her from reuniting with Kurai at this very moment? She sighs exasperatedly as Jade waits for her to answer, but Kitana doesn't have one.
Sighing deeply with understanding, Jade walks closer to Kitana then gently grabs her shoulders before facing her. "Come find me when you are ready to talk... and listen." She simply says to her friend before turning to walk away and leave Kitana to her thoughts.
Kitana walks forward and almost stops Jade to talk to her, but she still doesn't have anything to say since she is currently at a loss for words.
Sighing deeply, she turns to leave the beach and head back to the palace, but a bright light from a bolt of lightning stops her. She turns her head to see Raiden and two Earth Realm warriors walking alongside him. "Princess Kitana, I respectfully request an audience." The thunder god says to her as they all walk towards her.
Any negative thoughts of Earth Realm after her talk with Jade, they came flooding back at the sight of a constant reminder of why her brother isn't standing beside her at this moment. "Earthrealmers! You dare approach me?!" She shouts to them angrily.
Cage steps forward with his hands up in a calming manner. "Whoa, whoa. Look, honey. We didn't come here to fight you." He tells sincerely, but Kitana didn't appreciate what he just called her as Smoke steps up beside him.
"But we will if we must." He says assertively as he and Cage prepare to fight her as she continues to advance towards them.
"You will learn respect! Shao Kahn wants death to follow combat? I shall give it to him." She says with an combative tone as she prepares herself to fight the two Earth Realm warriors, but stops when a bolt of lightning strikes between the three of them.
"Perhaps Liu Kang and your brother was wrong about you, Kitana." Raiden says to her, causing her to freeze at the mention of Liu Kang and Kurai as the thunder god walks over to the three of them to diffuse the situation. "Or perhaps they both sense, as I do, that there is conflict within you. Even more so after learning of your brother's survival." He continues, which causes her to look away from him.
Pausing for just a few moments, Raiden decides to continue when Kitana doesn't speak. "We have not come here to fight you, Kitana. Only speak with you. However, I sense something whispers to you that circumstances should be different." He tells her while she avoids his gaze and looks down at the ground with a saddened expression. "That you should be different. You are much more like Sindel than Shao Kah-" He continues to say before stopping to grasp his head in pain as he receives another vision.
A vision of a resurrected and sinister looking Sindel. Raiden shakes his head as he gains an incredulous expression from he had just seen. "Impossible. Sindel, she's... But she is dead." He whispers with disbelief, which causes Kitana to look up at him with a confused expression.
"My... My mother is dead, yes. Why do you-" She begins to ask him, wondering why the thunder god is suddenly talking about her mother, but Raiden interrupts her before she can speak further.
"You need answers, Kitana. I can help you find them, if you will trust in me as your brother does." He tells her, making the princess think of what she should do. "Go Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. Much will be revealed there. And then you will see why you should stand with us, and your brother."
But Kitana looked uncertain about going to the one place she was never allowed in. "The Flesh Pits? But... I am forbidden to-" She begins to try and explain, but Raiden interrupts her again.
"Yes, Kitana, you are. Tell me. Why is that?" He asks her cryptically, to which she shakes her head, not knowing the answer.
"I... I don't know. Please tell me-" She pleads, but Raiden shakes his head.
"You must discover your true path, as your brother did, Kitana. Alone." He says to her calmly before walking away with Cage and Smoke before teleporting away in a bolt of lightning, leaving Kitana to wonder what she should do.
But it didn't take long for her to reach a decision. With a determined expression on her face, she takes off back towards Shao Kahn's palace to reach Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits, which were in the lower levels of the palace. "If I am truly meant to be better than this, then maybe it is not Kurai that needs to stand by my side, but rather I need to stand by his." She says to herself quietly as she strides towards her destination.
"If Kurai and I are meant to fight alongside each other, then maybe... it's meant to be with Earth Realm, not Outworld. I have a chance to be with my brother again, I am NOT going to give that up. But first, to find out the truth of what lies in the Flesh Pits." She says with determination in her tone.